  We present a new method for extracting excited states from a single two-point
correlation function calculated on the lattice. Our method simply combines the
correlation function evaluated at different time slices so as to ``subtract''
the leading exponential decay (ground state) and to give access to the first
excited state. The method is applied to a quenched lattice study (volume = 24^3
x 64, beta = 6.2, 1/a = 2.55 GeV) of the first excited state of the nucleon
using the local interpolating operator O = [uT C gamma5 d] u. The results are
consistent with the identification of our extracted excited state with the
Roper resonance N'(1440). The switching of the level ordering with respect to
the negative-parity partner of the nucleon, N*(1535), is not seen at the
simulated quark masses and, basing on crude extrapolations, is tentatively
expected to occur close to the physical point.
