Louis, of Bavaria, receiving five votes, while Frederic received but four, was unquestionably the legitimate emperor.

Most of the imperial cities acknowledged him.

Frankfort sung his triumph, and he was crowned with all the ancient ceremonials of pomp at Aix-la-Chapelle.
But Frederic and his party were not ready to yield, and all over Germany there was the mustering of armies.

For two years the hostile forces were marching and countermarching with the usual vicissitudes of war.

The tide of devastation and blood swept now over one State, and now over another, until at length the two armies met, in all their concentrated strength, at Muhldorf, near Munich, for a decisive battle.