#OTD in 1598.
William Shakespeare's play, The Merchant of Venice (under the title "the Marchaunt of Venyce or otherwise called the Jewe of Venyce") is entered on the Stationers' Register. By decree of Queen Elizabeth, the Stationers' Register licensed printed works, giving the Crown tight control over all published material.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Merchant_of_Venice
The Merchant of Venice at PG:
https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/1515