no offence but if you cant find your own stuff then you cant be looking very hard. most books in their intros will mention their purpose and thus infer the purpose of history. anyway i'll give you some of the good quotes from the big dudes i can rembmer
herodotus - "to preserve the deeds of great men", to inform and entertain
bede - "instruction of prosperity", didactic
von ranke - "wie es eigentlich gewesen(how it really is)", "let history speak with its own voice/speak for itself"(i prefer first translation). history not to entertain, merely to reconstruct past. stressed objectivity and historicism
jenkins - "no history just historiograhpy", history has no real purpose as truth unattainable
windschuttle - “historians adhere to a disciplined methodology that involves construction of explanations from evidence”, history is a scientific discipline with the purpose to find the truth. history should be kept academic. populist and oral histories invalid
as for myself i always liked to add a little spiel about how history can have a purpose but shouldnt be written with one in mind. lessons can be learnt, entertainment can be had but this should come from the reader and the subject matter not from the authors writing. attempts to teach a lesson or entertain do nothing but reduce the objectivity of a history, and while complete objectivity is impossible it is nonetheless and admirable aim
edit - seems theres a big thread up top about quotes too
