Emacs-lisp function for block-quoting (mail-style)?

[baard.kopperud@bigfoot.com (Baard Ove Kopperud)]

I was wondering if there is an emacs-lisp function
for block-quoting a region and/or paragraph(s) of
text in "mail-style" -- i.e. like this:

This line is not quoted...
neither is this one...
> but this one is...
> and so is this one...
but not this.

+++

Idealy, it should re-break the lines if necessary
to fit the specified coulmn-width (at least when
in auto-fill-mode).

By default, text should be quoted with "> ", but
it ought to be possible to specify another string
to be used to quote (e.g. "--> ").

It ought to be possible to specify a file-name and
have the file's contens pasted into the current
buffer quoted.  This could perhaps be a seperate
fuction that just used the actual quoting-function.

+++

If anyone could tell me if there already is an 
emacs-function that do (some of) this -- either
in the standard distribution or availble for
download -- it would be greately appriciated.

If not, would anyone here be able to write such
a function... or perhaps give a complete e-lisp
novice (like myself) some hints about how to do is?

If you want to write to me, please use *this*
address:  bokoppe [at] frisurf [dot] no

TIA,
-Koppe