3. FOR ROME TO CLAIM THAT IT “ONLY” FORBADE “UNAUTHORIZED” VERNACULAR BIBLES IS TO ADMIT ITS PRESUMPTION AND WICKEDNESS. The Council of Trent did allow reading of Scripture, but only after a license in writing was obtained from the proper ecclesiastical authority, a license which was given only in extremely rare cases. Even the Catholic clergy had to obtain a license from their bishops before they were allowed to read the Bible. Booksellers were forbidden to have Bibles in stock for sale under pain of severe punishment. This was a great wickedness. Rome does not have authority from God to forbid that people read the Bible or to require that men obtain her license before reading God’s Word. The Bible was given for all people, and the Lord Jesus Christ commanded his disciples to preach the Gospel unto all nations, to every creature.
http://www.wayoflife.org/fbns/romedestroyed.htm
In 17th century England, all books had to be licensed by the civil authorities before they could be printed. The practice is condemned (and so memorialized, in a sense) by Milton in his Areopagitica. The civil authorities were not persuaded.